Prince Charles says Commonwealth countries are free to chart their own course

Prince Charles told Commonwealth leaders on Friday that the choice to become a republic or relinquish the Queen as head of state was theirs alone, and expressed “personal sadness” at Britain’s legacy of slavery.

Britain’s heir to the throne was speaking at the opening of a meeting of Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM) in Rwanda, as the host country faced scrutiny of its rights record and a much-criticized migrant deal with Britain.

Charles is representing Queen Elizabeth II, while the 54-nation club from mostly former British colonies grapple with questions about its future relevance and modern profile.

Republican movements are rooted in a number of Commonwealth nations, and some are calling for redress for colonial-era injustices such as slavery.

Acknowledging the change, Charles said the Commonwealth – which represents a third of humanity – will always be “a free association of independent, self-governing nations”.

“I want to be clear, as I have said before, that the constitutional arrangement of each member, as a republic or monarchy, is solely a matter for each member country,” he told an audience of presidents and prime ministers.

He also acknowledged that the roots of the Commonwealth – which includes nations from Europe to Africa, Asia and the Americas as members – “go deep into the most painful period of our history”.

“I cannot describe the depth of my personal sadness at the suffering of so many people as I continue to deepen my own understanding of the enduring effects of slavery,” he said.

Charles earlier Friday met British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has been defending his controversial deal to deport migrants from the UK to Rwanda thousands of miles away.

The program, which has stalled amid legal challenges, has been fiercely opposed by the UN, church leaders, rights groups and, reportedly, Charles himself.

“I am confident that the migration aspect will work very well,” Johnson told British media in Kigali.

“We will proceed with politics and … the partnership with Rwanda offers a good way forward.”

He previously heaped praise on President Paul Kagame for the “leaps and bounds” achieved in Rwanda, despite widespread concerns about a lack of political freedom and civil liberties in the tiny African nation.

Human rights groups have openly questioned Rwanda’s suitability to host the Commonwealth, which has a charter enshrining respect for democracy and human rights as core shared values.

More than 20 human rights groups and civil society organizations issued a letter ahead of the summit saying there was a “climate of fear” under Kagame, whose party came to power after the horrors of the 1994 genocide.

The DRC has also called on Britain to condemn Rwanda over its alleged “aggression” in resource-rich eastern Congo, where Kigali has been accused of fomenting a rebellion.

Johnson himself is facing a political crisis at home after his Conservatives suffered a crushing defeat in the general by-election.

The Commonwealth’s closed-door summits are missing some heavyweights, including India’s Narendra Modi, South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa and Australia’s Anthony Albanese, who have sent envoys in their place.

The body has come under scrutiny for its relevance, but supporters say expanding membership to nations with no historical links to Britain underscores its value and prestige.

The two newest members are Mozambique and host country Rwanda, while the West African states of Togo and Gabon are expected to join the club at the summit.

“The fact that this meeting will be held in Rwanda, the new member with no historical connection to the British Empire, expresses our determination to reinvent the Commonwealth for a changing world,” Kagame said.

The Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Patricia Scotland, was narrowly re-elected on Friday after a bloody election campaign for another two years at the helm.

She defeated challenger Kamina Johnson Smith of Jamaica, who had the support of Britain, which had expressed dissatisfaction with Scotland’s leadership of the organization.